Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Disturbing news from the Fatima Custodians

Each weekend, our Fatima Custodians visit families in their homes with the Fatima statue.  When they come back, they tell stories of what they see and what they hear.

This weekend, one Custodian brought back some very disturbing news. 

"The families we visited don't believe in Hell, or say that Hell exists, but that no one goes there."   

I was very disturbed about this, and, as a result, decided to post an article about Hell, which you will find below.

A Condemned Prostitute

Saint Francis Jerome (1642-1716) was a great preacher.  Born of a noble family, he entered the Jesuits and developed his ministry in Naples.

Through his sermons, he converted innumerable sinners, convicts and fallen women.

Among the extraordinary facts in his biography the following excerpt is particularly pertinent since it refers to eternal damnation.

His sermons were commonly followed with the repentance and conversion of five, six and even ten fallen women, who appeared with their hair undone and shedding many tears, asking permission to enter into some convent in order to do penance for their sins.

One day, the servant of God preached in front of the home of one of those unfortunate women. Rather than repent, however she did everything she could to interrupt him, even letting loose great yells, but nothing she did succeeded to distract the attention of our saint, who continued his sermon until its end.

Some days later, Father Francis passed in front of the same house, and seeing it closed, asked those who were nearby: "What happened to Catherine?" That was the name of the unhappy woman.

She died suddenly yesterday," they answered.

"Dead!" exclaimed the Saint. "Let us go and see her."

He entered the home, and climbed the stairs. There he saw the body laid out according to the custom. Then, in the midst of the profound silence that reigned over the place, in spite of the large number of spectators, he exclaimed: "Tell me, Catherine, what has been done with thy soul?"

He asked this question twice without getting an answer; but, when he repeated it a third time, in a tone of authority, the dead woman opened her eyes, moved her lips in sight of everyone and, with a weak voice that seemed to come out of a great depth, answered: "In hell; I am in hell!"

Everyone left frightened and, upon withdrawing, the Saint repeatedly said: "In hell! In hell! All-powerful God, terrible God! In hell!"


The event and words of the saint caused such an impression that many did not dare return home without first going to confession.

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